Crochet First-Stitches Series: Wrapped First Stitches

Crochet Wrapped First-Stitches

It goes without saying that crocheters H-A-T-E that wonky edge that comes from working a chain up and counting it as the first stitch of the row. ACK! In this post, we continue our quest to clean up those edges with better alternatives for the first stitches of a crochet row. If you missed the others in this series, jump on over HERE and HERE to catch up. You go ahead… we'll grab a cup of coffee and hang out until you return… 

WELCOME BACK! What did you think of those? Pretty nifty, eh? Yeah… we've used those two a lot but those linked first-stitches are the BEST! Right? Okay… moving on…

​This week, we're giving you all another option for the first stitches of a crochet row: the Wrapped First-Stitch. Wrapped first stitches start by using chain-ups to achieve the height needed for the next row of stitches then you work a slick little wrap around and a yarn under to put the loops on your hook. Yup… a yarn UNDER… more on that below. The result is a little thicker than a linked first-stitch and is definitely thicker than a regular double crochet stitch. But, with the right weight of yarn and hook size, this could be a viable option for you in a future project. As with all of these techniques, be sure to use your practice swatch to determine what works best for the crochet fabric you are making for your project. One more reason to swatch that keeps you from having an unfortunate mess later on.

In the end, you will have a sturdy stitch that stands up well to sewing and adding on a border and it certainly eliminates the gaps from those chained first stitches… ACK! After you try this one, leave a comment and let us know what you think. And, if you like this one, share it with your friends and on social media… just tag us with @Shibaguyz so we know you like it!

Alrighty then… here we go!

Steps to Marking a Wrapped First-Dc:

​Ch 2, being careful not to twist lp on hook, wrap hook from front to back around right-hand side of ch just made, yarn under, bring yarn to front of work (2 lps on hook), insert hook into first st, yo and draw up a lp (3 lps on hook), [yo and draw through 2 lps on hook] 2 times.

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Wrapped First-Double Crochet, Step 1

Step ​1
Chain 2 to come up to the height of your new working row. The trick here is to not twist the loop on your hook while you are working this next part.

To prevent the loop from twisting on your hook, hold the loop tightly agains the hook with you finger (see the right index finger in the photo).

Now, wrap your hook from front to back around the right-hand side of the chain you just made. Left-handed crocheters will wrap your hook around the left-hand side of the chain you just made.

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Wrapped First-Double Crochet, Step 2

Step ​2
Now comes the yarn under part. Look carefully at the photo and note that the yarn is coming UNDER the hook rather than over the hook like it does in a yarn over.

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Wrapped First-Double Crochet, Step 3

Step ​3
Here's where you're going to be grateful you locked down that loop and didn't let it twist around. Keep your finger securely locked down on that loop and bring the yarn back around the chain to the front of the work. Now you'll have 2 loops on you hook.

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Wrapped First-Double Crochet, Step 4

Step ​4
Now, all that's left is to do is insert your hook into the first stitch of the row and make a double crochet like you usually would.

Insert your hook into the first stitch of the row, yo and draw up a loop (3 loops on hook), [yo and draw through 2 loops on your hook] 2 times.

When you are finished, you will have a sturdy first double crochet just like the one in the photo!

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A quick note here about taller stitches. While the wrapped first-stitch technique works best for double crochet stitches, it is just okay for treble crochet stitches… then that's about it. If you are going to employ this technique for a treble crochet stitch, you need to first do a regular yarn over THEN pick up at the second half of Step 1 of this tutorial where you lock down the loop and wrap the hook around the side of the chains. We have only ever used this once in a project… so we don't generally recommend it. For taller stitches, our absolute favorite stitch is the linked first-stitch we made in last week's tutorial. If you missed it, go take a look here: Linked First-Stitch Crochet Tutorial. Give it a try yourself but we think you'll find the linked first-stitch a better crochet technique for stitches taller than a double crochet.

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So there you have it! Yet another of our FAVORITE crochet techniques that can be applied to any project where the instructions call for you to make a certain number of chains to count as the first stitch of the row. Say it with us... "No more wonky edges!!"

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Want to see more tutorials like this?
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Shibaguyz Tutorial Page

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Linked First-Stitches Crochet Tutorial

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